THE BEAST

Black metal already existed long before it became a significant hit in Norway and flourished internationally before its heydays in Norway. However, the impact of the Norwegian scene on black metal is undeniable. One person that helped black metal grow so much across Norway and beyond was Euronymous (Oystein Aarseth), who masterminded Mayhem because of his high openness to creative experimentation. However, after he died in 1993, there was a tricky question about how black metal will continue to perform locally and globally. The energy was either going to drift away, or the genre would continue to grow and hit new heights that even Euronymous couldn’t have imagined. 

It didn’t take long before the question was answered. Fortunately, the latter proved to be the case, and one of the major driving forces behind this was the band Satyricon. 

In 1994, Satyricon delivered two Norwegian folk black metal music albums with a medieval atmosphere, titled The Shadowthrone and Dark Medieval Times. These two albums made waves, but the best was yet to come. In 1996, two years later, they released a third album – Nemesis Divina. This was an instant hit that took the band ahead of the pack at the time and shone more light on black metal globally.  

Before we mention any of the songs on the Nemesis Divina album, we need to start from the forward-thinking and bold nature of the album cover. Of course, there was a prototype for album covers within the black metal genre, especially within the Norwegian scene. It was roughly DIY white and black photographs, dark-toned color on shadowed images, or stark sketch drawings. This was exemplified across the genre and even in the first two albums by Satyricon. However, the cover for Nemesis Divina was something special, a unique work of art. 

You could tell from listening to the album that there was fiery aggression that burned throughout the songs’ instrumentation. They abandoned the lone acoustic guitar passage in their last albums, and the keyboards were arranged in accompaniment with the riffs of the guitar instead of taking a sole focus. 

According to a  pro essay writing , one can feel Norwegian folk music’s influence, a constant change through their career. However, it is mainly used as a thematic break from the aggressive fury. This is prominent on the riffs in the second part of “Forhekset” and the keyboard passage in the hypnotic tremolo riff in “Du som hater Gud.”

The higher definition in their recording ensures that the instruments are heard exquisitely clear instead of cacophony, allowing the listeners to appreciate the beauty of the compositions. 

Although there were many highlights and collaborations, the crown jewel on this album is “Mother North.” This six-and-a-half-minute track with infectious melodies, brooding atmospheres, and varied paces became the most recognizable song of the band’s career. The proof of this is in the elicit chanting of the crowd across their live venues worldwide. 

One of the reasons why “Mother North” became a huge hit, as mentioned in  topbritishessays , is its music video, which was one of the earliest examples of a video for black metal music. It gave a more atmospheric dream than the expected linear story, but it correctly exhibited the themes with which Satyr created the song, mostly romanticism for Norway. The video was a full-fleshed exhibit of several key elements of the black metal scene in Norway. 

Satyricon went on to change after the era of Nemesis Divina, but throughout their career, the success and legacy of this album never left them. On the contrary, it continued to propel them forward many years after. On the 20th anniversary of the album in 2016, Satyricon, while hesitant about feeling nostalgic about the past, toured the entire album. This was a lovely tribute to the old fans who were with them as they evolved and their newer fans who missed the heydays of the album. Five years on and twenty-five years since the album was released, it is still regarded as a classic album that delights fans worldwide. As the lyrics of the highlight song of the album goes: “united we stand, together we walk.”

Author Bio

Eliza Sadler is a professional journalist with extensive experience, four years, working for  A writer com  and  Essay on Time , where you can  order a college essay . She also works as a freelancer and writes a lot of articles. She always focused on doing quality work to achieve her goals and objectives. Eliza is fascinated by the ability to create original works that meet high standards. Feel free to connect with her by email.